15 June 2012

And finally... Olympic Sundays

And finally... Olympic Sundays

In case you're overcome with excitement at the prospect of the Olympic torch appearing on a High Street near you, here's a quick reminder of the employment law impact of the suspension of the usual Sunday Trading laws from 22 July to 9 September.

Shop workers can opt out of Sunday working in larger shops by giving 3 months' notice, provided they are not employed just to work on Sundays. To give these workers a chance to opt out in time to avoid longer Sunday working hours for the Olympic period, this notice period has been shortened to two months or the interval between the date notice is given and the day before the suspension starts, if that is longer.

If workers want their opt-out to last only for the period of longer opening hours, they should specify this in their notice, otherwise it will continue indefinitely until they give notice to opt back in. The last date on which a shortened notice can be given is 9 July 2012